MAKING

BETTER
PLACES:
Autonomous vehicles and
future opportunities
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff in
association with Farrells
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MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Rachel Skinner Nigel Bidwell
Director, Development Partner
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Farrells

FOREWORD
Autonomous vehicles will be transformational. They have the potential to
support a better quality of life, economic growth, health, safety and social
connections. They offer convenient and affordable mobility to all of us,
regardless of where we live, our age or ability to drive. They could also help
to improve the way that our existing places and routes work, while offering
new potential for more valuable land, and additional homes and jobs.

Working together, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff and Farrells have built on

leading-edge research into connected and autonomous vehicles to explore
CONTRIBUTORS new thinking and ideas. From this, we have created future visions of what we
think five places in the UK might look like in an autonomous vehicle world.
We would like to offer our sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to
talk with us and share their thoughts, including experts from: The transition has already begun. So these visions put aside, quite intentionally,
futuristic townscape designs that bear no resemblance to todays reality.
Bristol Futures Old Oak & Park Royal
Buckinghamshire County Development Corporation These are visions for existing and familiar places: the city centre, the suburban
Council Osborne Clarke road, motorways, and the local county town. We have also looked at the
Devon County Council Sustrans new places to come and taken our best guess at how autonomous vehicles
Future Cities Catapult Transport for Greater Manchester can influence the design of emerging opportunity areas, garden cities and
Highways England Transport for London housing zones.
Greater London Authority Transport Systems Catapult
London First Transport Research Laboratory In short, we see enormous potential for a new generation of living streets and
communities, designed for vehicles, but putting people first.
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MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

INTRODUCTION
DRIVERLESS AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES (AVs) ARE COMING, AND THEY
WILL BE TRANSFORMATIONAL.
WITH THE RIGHT PLANNING, THEY OFFER THE POTENTIAL FOR A BETTER
QUALITY OF LIFE, ECONOMIC GROWTH, IMPROVED HEALTH AND BROADER
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS, BY OFFERING CONVENIENT AND AFFORDABLE
MOBILITY TO ALL OF US, REGARDLESS OF WHERE WE LIVE, OUR AGE OR
ABILITY TO DRIVE.
A connected network of vehicles will be safer, more For each, we have drawn images of a feasible future
sustainable and efficient than the cars of today. In time, case, to show the spaces as they could look and feel if
AVs will be able to move around without direct driver we reach a point where autonomous vehicles are
input to transport people and goods, on demand, from the norm.
door to door using the most efficient routes.
New technologies will only win widespread acceptance
Whats more, tomorrows road transport system will when they are shown to work seamlessly, safely,
interact seamlessly with other transport systems, offering efficiently and affordably in existing places, using current
end-to-end journey connectivity and resilience. transport infrastructure and where appropriate when
mixed with other vehicles.
The transition to AVs also offers enormous potential for
land value uplift alongside additional homes and jobs, In parallel, we can accelerate progress, trust and take-
if key steps are taken to lock in the anticipated place up through investment in AV systems in new places,
making and land-use benefits. allowing trials and roll-out of innovative concepts with
fewer constraints. Therefore we also explore how a
We are not seeking to justify or rationalise fully-autonomous future opportunity area, garden city or
the business case for driverless cars or AVs in housing zone could look and feel.
themselves.

Instead, we explore their potential benefits and impacts

on real UK places:

City centres
Suburban spaces
Motorways
Rural areas
 5

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Removing the clutter

Autonomous vehicles will transform
Britain's busy streets
 6
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
THE
TECHNOLOGY
WORKS.
In 2015, Googles on-road
driverless cars in California
clocked up their millionth
mile.
UK trials of driverless car
technology were funded
in 2014 by InnovateUK.
These are ongoing in
Milton Keynes, Coventry,
Greenwich and Bristol.
Live trials of Dutch
driverless shuttles have
started. These will build
to a 6km on-street stretch
between Wageningen and
Ede, without guideways or
safety drivers on board. This
is the first European trial to
mix with live traffic, rather
than having a dedicated
route or running in a
pedestrianised area.
In China, self-driving bus
prototypes have completed
a 32km intercity circuit in
normal traffic, reaching
68km/hr, changing lanes
and overtaking without
driver intervention.
In April 2016, the first
driverless semi-trucks trial
will commence at Rotterdam
port. The goal is to be able
to send autonomous road
trains across the continent
by 2019.
A NEW VISION FOR BETTER PLACES
WHAT IS AN "AUTONOMOUS
VEHICLE"?
Building on the UK Department
for Transport definitions, a fully
autonomous vehicle is capable of
completing journeys safely and
efficiently, without a driver, in
all normally encountered traffic,
road and weather conditions.
Occupants are able to engage in
tasks other than driving for the
duration of their journey. There is
no drivers seat and the vehicle can
move without a driver on board.
With each vehicle acting as one
part of a wider system, decisions
about route choice, travel speed and
movement are made and adjusted in
real time.
AVs will vary in size and will not
all be cars, as the autonomous
technologies can also be applied to
light vans and heavy freight.
As AVs can move while empty,
they can therefore offer door-to-
door journeys to match individual
needs exactly without needing a
parking space at either end of that
trip. This is critical to the potential
for better placemaking.
ARE AVS THE SAME AS
DRIVERLESS VEHICLES?
AND WHAT ABOUT
CONNECTED VEHICLES?
Connected simply means a vehicle
that can connect with devices in the
car (for example, a smartphone), to
external networks (via the internet)
and with other vehicles around them.
It is worth noting that many of the
newer cars on the UKs roads are
already connected in some way.
A 'highly automated' driverless
vehicle is not the same as a 'fully
automated' AV. The key distinction
is that while the vehicle can operate
in driverless mode, there must be
a qualified person in the driving
seat who is able to take manual
control as required.
IS AN AV A NEW MODE OR
ARE THEY JUST THE NEXT
GENERATION OF CARS?
Road-based transport is already
moving towards fully autonomous
operation: all major vehicle
manufacturers are heavily invested.
Today, the newer cars on the UKs
roads already have a great deal of
automation on board. From cruise
control, automatic braking and
parking assistance to the latest
lane-following and lane-changing
technology, we already trust it to
keep us safe.
Within the next decade, an entirely
new mode of transport is likely
to emerge. These will be electric
vehicles that are designed and built
as AVs from the outset. While these
may share many characteristics with
cars to begin with, and may - as an
interim step - have optional manual
controls, in time the separation will
become more clear.

WHO WILL OWN THE AVS?
There are two primary options for
AV investment: private ownership
and shared use.
Under a shared use scenario, within
a specific place, fleets of AVs
would be owned and operated by
city or local authorities, or by site
owners and developers holding
a long term interest. In practice,
fleet AV operations are likely to be
subcontracted to specialist private
companies who supply and maintain
the vehicles.
If we can reach a shared use
solution, people would not purchase
or own the AVs they use. Instead,
people would buy into a mobility
service offered by the AVs. This
is similar to cycle hire schemes
and car clubs that already operate
in many of our cities. Recent US-
based studies have shown that travel
cost savings of up to 75% could
be available for shared vehicles
travelling 24,000 kilometres per
year, compared with typical car
running costs today.
The two models are not mutually
exclusive. That said, their availability
for a particular city, place or route will
play a major role in determining the
benefits that are generated.
CAN WE TRUST THE
TECHNOLOGY?
HOW SAFE IS SAFE
ENOUGH?
The widespread introduction of
AVs could reduce both the number
and severity of road accidents
substantially.
Today, we accept that every time we
get into our cars, there is a risk of
accident. With 1775 reported road
fatalities in the UK in 2014, and
195,000 casualties of all severities,
road accidents cost the UK upwards
of 10 billion each year. While the
number of fatalities has fallen by
nearly half since 2005, upwards of
90% of all accidents continue to be
caused in some way by driver error.
There is an expectation that
driverless and autonomous systems
will deliver a near-zero harm solution
for everyone, including pedestrians
and cyclists as well as those inside
the vehicles. However, near zero
will never mean absolutely zero.
There will always be times when an
AV is forced to choose between
options where there is no outcome
that avoids all harm.
7
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
DO WE NEED WHOLESALE
INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT OR CHANGE
BEFORE DRIVERLESS CARS
AND AVS CAN WORK ON
OUR ROADS?
No, neither driverless cars nor AVs
will require significant on-street
infrastructure investment before
they can be used.
Inbuilt technology will allow AVs
to navigate on all types of roadway
while taking account of other users
including pedestrians and cyclists.
That said, we have the opportunity
to adapt our places and roads to
maximise the benefits offered
by AVs over time. Most of these
changes will be long-term and
evolutionary, accruing more benefit
as a larger proportion of vehicles
become equipped to operate in a
driverless and then autonomous
environment.
90%
Upwards of 90% of all accidents
continue to be caused in some way
by driver error
 8 9

IMAGINING FUTURE PLACES: AN AV ZONE

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

High quality, safe, flexible
spaces for people, not cars

Roadside clutter
eliminated: no road signs,
speed limits or traffic lights
needed

Cycle and pedestrian safety

transformed as all routes
are shared

Last mile freight deliveries

made by AV

No permanent parking
on-street, but flexible
spaces available for
deliveries and servicing

Fluid vehicle lanes can

adapt to match demand
10

IMAGINING FUTURE PLACES: AN AV ZONE

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

A FORWARD-THINKING AUTHORITY OR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION COULD PLAN

FOR AN AV ZONE TODAY WHEREVER THERE ARE PLANS FOR A GROWTH AREA, HOUSING
ZONE, OPPORTUNITY AREA, GARDEN CITY OR SIMILAR. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, AN
AV ZONE WOULD OPERATE AS A SELF-CONTAINED SYSTEM WITHIN A DEFINED AREA.

This aligns well with the development areas already identified in planning documents across the
country, where growth plans are of a relatively large scale and are expected to build out over the next
ten to twenty years.

AV ZONES OFFER 15-20% ADDITIONAL
DEVELOPABLE AREA
A new development designated as a dedicated zone
for shared AV use could offer between 15% and
20% additional developable area compared with a
typical central urban layout. This is primarily due to
the removal of almost all parking spaces, but also
because of roadspace simplification that will save
space.
AVs would move seamlessly between booked journeys
or would return to a designated hub for storage,
charging and maintenance until they are next needed.
Available data confirms that central London has a
parking coverage of around 16% and a total of around
6.8 million parking spaces, on and off street. Assuming a
typical average parking bay size, this means that around
8,000 hectares of central London is used for parking.
General figures of 15-30% parking coverage are typical
of New York, Paris, Vienna, Boston and Hong Kong.
Designing out the majority of parking spaces from
a new AV zone would create at least 15% additional
land area (at ground level) for more valuable uses,
compared with our existing urban centres. Depending
on scale, this could create the potential for thousands
of additional homes and jobs, as well as extra land
for quality green and open spaces.
It could also reduce costs as the same developable
area could be achieved with a more efficient use of
ground level space (and perhaps above or below as well,
depending on the situation).
With reference to the latest DCLG figures (below),
a 100 hectare AV zone development in the heart
of London could gain more than 1.25 billion
in additional land value uplift as a direct result,
or 300 million in outer London or 15-75
million across much of the rest of the country. The
introduction of AV zones could therefore become
a significant factor in future development viability
appraisals.

RESIDENTIAL LAND VALUE UPLIFTS

AV zones that increase the amount of residential land by removing parking spaces
could make future developments considerably more viable.

DCLGs data (2015) identifies that post-development residential land value uplifts of
1-4 million per hectare are typical of much of the country.

Most London boroughs typically reach an uplift of 10-30 million per hectare, while
Westminster and the City of London uplifts are upwards of 90 million.

Some newer city centre developments are already
planned and delivered without car parking, usually where
they are near to a station offering fast, frequent public
transport services. AV zones would allow this strategy
to be delivered equitably across far larger development
areas, giving everyone a high quality transport solution
at their front door.
MUCH SAFER LOCAL ROADS
In an AV zone, cycle safety would be transformed as
AVs would be far more aware of bicycles than drivers
are today. The bicycles themselves could be linked into
the wider system in time, offering even greater safety
improvements.
Similarly, pedestrians will be better protected and
vehicle speeds will adjust to allow AVs to take proper
account of people crossing roads.
In return, as pedestrians and users of public spaces, we
will all have to get used to a new etiquette for AVs to
match the logic and behaviour of the vehicles.
One of the key changes that will make an AV zone
significantly safer than todays urban areas is that AVs
will put people at the top of the user hierarchy, rather
than vehicles. This offers many of the benefits of a
pedestrianised area without the need to compromise
on accessibility.
11
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
LESS CLUTTERED STREETS
This shift in urban design creates the opportunity to
bring forward high quality, high density communities
enhanced by open and green spaces. At the same time,
the streets themselves become more functional and
efficient thoroughfares.
Street clutter can be virtually eliminated, as AVs will
not need to gather information from the roadside. In
a zone designed and built for AVs from the outset,
direction signs, speed limit signs and traffic lights
will no longer be required. Visibility splays can be
reduced and intersections can be simplified.
AV STORAGE AND THE CAR-TO-AV
INTERCHANGE
AVs have to be stored somewhere when not in use.
Vehicles can be supplied from a series of mini-hubs
throughout the AV zone, which ensure a local supply
of a vehicle on demand to any home or business.
When not on call, AVs would return to these mini-
hubs for charging. Larger AV hubs or depots would be
needed for servicing and storage purposes, but these
do not need to occupy prime locations so could be
underground or out-of-centre.
For those who wish to drive outside the AV zone in the
short to medium term, car clubs and car parks (similar to
todays park and ride facilities) could be created at the
zone edge.
12 13

TRANSFORMING CITY CENTRES

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

More space for urban retail,
commercial and leisure
activity

Safe interaction between

cyclists, pedestrians and
AVs

Edge of centre car parks

become larger AV servicing
and storage hubs

AVs able to access hard-

to-reach places, especially
for mobility impaired
passengers

Much reduced congestion

and smoother traffic flow

Better quality of townscape

with more space for
pedestrian activity
14
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

TRANSFORMING
CITY CENTRES
THE WIDESPREAD UPTAKE OF
CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS
VEHICLES CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY
TO REINVIGORATE CITY AND TOWN
CENTRES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THESE
PLACES WOULD REMAIN FAMILIAR BUT
WILL BECOME GREENER, CLEANER
AND MORE LIVEABLE SPACES AS
DRIVERLESS VEHICLES AND THEN AVs
ARE INTRODUCED.

MORE EFFICIENT MOVEMENT

With driverless cars and/or under a private AV

ownership model, safety, efficiency and air quality
benefits could be substantial. Around 30% - or 45% in
some places - of city centre traffic is made up of drivers
searching for parking spaces.

As vehicles become better connected to network-wide

information, this inefficiency would be eliminated,
flows would be smoothed and journey time reliability
improved.

SAFER STREETS FOR EVERYONE

Accidents on built-up roads (with 20, 30 and 40 mph

speed limits) accounted for nearly 800 deaths and
72% of all accidents in 2014. Accidents on built-up
roads cost us, nationally, more than 6 billion each year,
excluding damage-only incidents.

Not surprisingly, urban accidents tend to involve more

pedestrians and cyclists than other road types. Failure
to look properly caused almost 50% of urban accidents
in 2014 (higher than any other road type), with poor
judgement and careless driving causing an additional
40%.

The introduction of driverless vehicles and AVs to urban

centres could therefore generate large reductions in
accident numbers.

Using urban population as a broad proxy for casualty
distribution across the UK:
In Greater London, a 50% reduction in road-related
casualties could generate savings of 360 million
each year, rising to 650 million if a 90% reduction
can be achieved
For Greater Manchester, these savings could be
125-225 million per year and for Birmingham,
50-90 million a year
For cities of a size similar to Glasgow, Sheffield or
Edinburgh, these savings could reach 25-45
million a year
EXTRA BENEFITS THROUGH SHARED USE
Adding shared AV use to this future scenario offers
additional placemaking benefits and congestion relief.
First, similar to the AV zone, unnecessary parking
can be removed from city centre streets, and car
parks can be redeveloped for more valuable uses.
As discussed earlier, parking takes up around 15-30%
of a typical urban area, so the land value uplift could be
similar on a per hectare basis - to that identified for an
AV zone.
Of the estimated 8,000 hectares of central London
land occupied by parked cars today, it is reasonable
to assume that 50-70% potentially more than
5,000 hectares could be released once AVs are
commonly in use. Some of this land (largely on-street
parking spaces) will be well suited to pedestrian and
cycle enhancements, small-scale retail and commercial
improvements or better open spaces. Off-street car
parks and similar could offer larger-scale redevelopment
opportunities.
At typical densities between 25 and 50 dwellings per
hectare, the introduction of AVs therefore opens up the
potential for hundreds of thousands of new homes in
our existing city centres.
Second, under a shared use model, we would need far
fewer AVs than cars in circulation to maintain todays
car-based travel patterns. Recent research, repeated
with similar results around the world, suggests that in
the UK our cars are parked for 96% of the time (80%
at home and 16% elsewhere). With shared use, each
AV would be in use for a far greater proportion of time
than a typical car today. On this basis, even allowing for
peaks in demand and growth, the efficiency benefits on
offer would be transformational.
15
NO NEED FOR MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
Driverless vehicles and AVs could start to use our urban
streets without major change to the existing streetscape
or city-wide infrastructure. The new technology is
vehicle-mounted rather than at the roadside.
While non-driverless cars remain a part of the traffic
flow, the fundamentals of the urban streetscape, both
junctions and links, will need to remain in place. This
does not mean no change in the interim. As roadspace
is freed up, local authorities and developers will have a
key role in managing and improving the public realm for
different users.
Once driverless technologies are well-established and
trusted, there will come a key point when sufficient
vehicles meet the defined standards for driverless
vehicles. A city or urban authority could then decide
to designate some routes or areas as driverless zones
or, beyond that, AV zones. These could be used
by vehicles that meet the DfT-defined standard of
driverless connectivity, regardless of ownership (private
or shared), and the streetscape could be changed and
de-cluttered to suit.
SEAMLESS INTERCHANGE WITH INTER-
URBAN MASS TRANSIT
Demand for mass movement along core routes between
urban centres will remain, catering for peak commuter
routes and inter-city trips. It is unlikely that sufficient
efficiency or cost gains would be made by hundreds of
individual AVs converging on particular routes.
Instead, AVs will offer a door-to-door first or last mile
travel option to and from mass transit interchanges.
They will also be able to fulfil journeys where there is no
public transport equivalent, or where levels of demand
do not support an economically viable service.
The combination of a data-rich connected network for
road transport together with similarly developed systems
for other transport modes will help to make stations
highly efficient integrated interchange points between
AVs and rail or bus services. This will cut waiting times
for the travelling public: it is worth noting that if this
integration saves just ten minutes of waiting time for
commuters each day, this is equivalent to reclaiming
five working days per year for everyone.
16 17

ENHANCING OUR SUBURBS

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Residential roads become
quieter social spaces, safe play
spaces and better cycle routes

On-street parking is
eliminated

AVs only use suburban

residential roads for local
pick-up and drop-off

Restored front gardens

have better biodiversity
and drainage, reducing
flood risk

AVs are supplied on

demand and charged
locally, returning to larger
hubs for servicing

Non-perishable and non-

critical AV deliveries are
made outside peak travel
times
18
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

ENHANCING OUR SUBURBS

FOR MANY PEOPLE LIVING IN THE
SUBURBS, CAR OWNERSHIP IS OFTEN
A RESPONSE TO A LACK OF SAFE,
CONVENIENT AND AFFORDABLE
TRANSPORT ALTERNATIVES. THE REALITY
IS THAT OUR CARS ARE TYPICALLY
PARKED AT HOME WHETHER ON OR
OFF STREET FOR 80% OF THE TIME.

Front gardens have increasingly been paved over to

accommodate multiple car ownership, to the continued
detriment of local streetscapes, surface drainage and
greenery.

At the same time, local suburban connector roads have,

in some cases, become peak hour rat-runs used by
drivers seeking to avoid congested distributor roads.

The end result for many people is a home environment

where pedestrian and child safety, noise, air quality and
traffic speeds are a growing cause for concern.

The widespread introduction of driverless cars and AVs
to suburban areas would help to address these issues,
while adding specific value to the suburban streets. In
particular, with system-wide control over route choice
to maximise efficiency and network capacity, vehicles
would use the most appropriate routes. Residential
streets could largely be avoided, except where they form
an essential element of the trip.
If a shared use solution for AVs was available to a
suburban community, offering appropriately sized
vehicles within minutes, supplied from local hubs,
and with significantly lower costs than running a car
year-round, then interest and demand would grow
fast.
This does not necessarily mean that todays cars would
be formally excluded from suburban areas over the short
or medium term in favour of driverless vehicles or AVs.
Instead, suburban households could transition to shared
AVs in place of second car ownership to begin with.
Over time, as trust and familiarity builds, we might
then see a shift towards greater use of shared AVs for
everyday trips to and from home.
For household deliveries, it is feasible that autonomous
light vans could come into use. In this case, customised
AVs might operate as secure mobile lockers that can be
opened and unloaded by an operator or the recipient.
SAFER STREETS FOR EVERYONE, WITH
BETTER CHILD SAFETY
If AVs become largely privately owned, one of the primary
benefits for the suburbs will be road safety. On 30mph
roads, almost half of drivers tend to travel above the speed
limit and around 15% travel at more than 35mph.
In future, driving speeds will be controlled by the
system. Long-term evidence suggests that the risk of
a fatal injury to a pedestrian hit by a car travelling at
30-40mph is around 350-500% greater than vehicles
travelling below 30mph. It follows that suburban
accident rates could be reduced dramatically through
this change alone.
Sensors mounted within driverless vehicles and AVs
will be much faster and more reliable at detecting and
avoiding vulnerable road users than most drivers today.
This could provide further benefits for children, the
elderly and cyclists in suburban spaces.
19
SHARED AV USE: THE KEY TO RECLAIMING
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
SUBURBAN SPACE AND ADDING VALUE
Around 80% of the UKs suburban housing stock
has some form of front garden space, of which
around a third have been paved to become a parking
space. This is an area equivalent to 100 Hyde
Parks or approximately 1400 hectares. In London,
the proportion of front gardens that have become
parking spaces is even higher, at around 50%. These
figures are rising: in 2015 five times as many London
homes had front gardens with no plants compared with
2005.
In addition, on-street parking is permitted along
many suburban roads, with or without some form of
Controlled Parking Zone in operation.
The uptake of shared use AVs, able to move without a
driver on board, opens up options to reclaim on-street
parking and to convert many residential off-street
parking spaces back into gardens. This would improve
the look and feel of the streetscape, leaving more safe
space for leisure and social uses. It would also benefit
biodiversity and rainwater runoff, while reducing pressure
on water storage systems. Taking the figures above, if
half of the UKs paved suburban front gardens were
reclaimed, this would stop or significantly slow up to
2,400 litres/second of rainfall entering the system
and causing flooding.
Another direct benefit for suburban residents is that
reduced levels of car ownership might allow more
households to convert existing garage spaces into new
living space, bedrooms and bathrooms. Today, this form
of conversion tends to add 5-20% to the value of a
typical suburban property and allows for more flexible
use in future.
96%
In the UK our cars are parked
96% of the time, including
80% at home.
20 21

NEXT GENERATION MOTORWAYS

& MAJOR ROUTES
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Crash barriers, sign
gantries and lane markings
are no longer required

Flexible, fluid lanes cater

for tidal flows, freight and
live work on carriageways

AVs move in connected

platoons for maximum
safety and route efficiency

Priority lanes can be

created for high occupancy
AVs and/or premium users

Safety is enhanced by on-

board sensors to monitor
road obstructions

Improved water runoff,

flood management and
ecology benefits for the
motorway corridor

New uses alongside the

motorway could include
long distance cycle routes,
light industry and energy
capture

Motorway lighting and

associated light pollution
dramatically reduced
22
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

NEXT GENERATION MOTORWAYS & MAJOR ROUTES

TAKING A ROUTE-BASED APPROACH, DRIVERLESS AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
COULD SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGE ROAD SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY ON MOTORWAYS
AND MAJOR ROUTES.

The Department for Transport is already considering changes needed to the Highway Code for driverless vehicles,
and Highways Englands first motorway trials for driverless cars will take place in 2017.

DEDICATED DRIVERLESS ROUTES VERSUS
MOTORWAYS WITH MIXED OPERATION
There is a key decision to make about whether to
dedicate routes for driverless vehicles or to aim for
mixed operation where todays cars and freight use the
same roadspace as well.
Mixed operation on higher speed routes introduces
some very pragmatic challenges: driverless vehicles
and AVs will behave differently to cars, and every non-
connected, non-driverless vehicle will affect all others
around it. There are useful parallels with rail, where
higher speed services, local services and freight are
separated wherever possible onto separate lines.

DRIVERLESS MOTORWAYS: OPERATION, LOOK AND FEEL

The best long term option would be fully driverless motorways, available for use by any vehicle that meets new
Highway Code standards. With every vehicle operating in driverless mode, the system could maximise
efficiency through speed, vehicle position and lane changing.

On a fully driverless route, the operation, look and feel of the route will change substantially:

Fixed, formal, marked lanes will not be needed.
Changing over the course of the day, fluid lanes
would allow demand and capacity to be matched
by direction. This opens up large efficiency gains
on routes with heavily tidal flows at different times
of the day. The lanes could also be narrowed as
vehicles travelling closer together would not affect
each other.
Roadside clutter could be almost entirely
removed. Direction signs, distances to key points
of interest, incident information and so on could be
delivered directly to passengers.
Speed limits will no longer be required. All
vehicles in the same lane will travel at the same
speed, as appropriate to the road layout and surface,
traffic volume and conditions on the route ahead.
High priority lanes or convoys could be formed,
effectively creating a pay-as-you-go motorway
with a live revenue stream, irrespective of vehicle

THE SAFETY CASE
Despite being one of the safest route types, 5500
accidents occurred on British motorways in 2014,
including 85 fatalities and almost 600 serious injuries.
Driverless motorways could transform road safety.
If half of the current accidents on our motorway network
could be prevented, this would generate savings of
240 million each year and if 90% were eliminated
(the percentage of accidents that involve driver error
today) it would be almost 400 million per year. These
benefits include wider costs but exclude the costs of
delays that occur as a result of the motorway incidents.
THE EFFICIENCY AND CAPACITY CASE
The typical stopping distance for vehicles travelling
at 70mph, the current speed limit for most British
motorways, is 96 metres. This is made up of 21 metres
of thinking time (or 0.7 seconds) plus 75m of stopping
time (2.4 seconds).
This means that todays cars make use of just 5% of a
typical lane at any given time, under good conditions.
A fully driverless motorway would allow much better
ownership. Higher revenue business trips could then
travel faster or use the shortest available routes.
High occupancy lanes could benefit those who
choose to share a vehicle, offering faster travel
times or shorter travel distances to those travelling
more sustainably.
Freight lanes or convoys could be formed to
match demand outside peak times, with options
to consolidate driverless loads at motorway access
points. Freight vehicles would avoid the nearside
lanes, given the long distances they tend to travel,
to minimise interaction with other vehicles joining or
leaving the route.
Journey times will be more reliable as real-time
connected systems use live data to forecast arrival
times. Should any incidents occur, all vehicles
23
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
utilisation of roadspace, reducing reaction times and
smoothing flows across segments. This will also reduce
energy consumption.
Recent estimates suggest capacity improvements of
around 1.4 times current capacity once all vehicles are
fully connected. With driverless capability in place, a
dedicated motorway or strategic route could deliver
as much as 3.7 times its current capacity.
CHANGING THE INVESTMENT CASE FOR
MOTORWAYS
With efficiency and safety expectations transformed,
driverless motorways have the potential to change the
investment strategy for DfT and Highways England.
Some routes may have sufficient headroom for many
more years due to the move to driverless motorways.
This will shift the emphasis of both capital and
operational spend, and at the same time the potential
for new revenue streams could be explored.
In other cases, there is potential to convert existing
motorway land to other uses. This could take many
forms, from long-distance commuter cycle routes to
light industrial uses, to energy capture or leisure uses.
using the route will react to adjust speeds and their
optimum routes.
Passenger comfort would also be much
enhanced, as shockwave braking and poor driver
reactions would be eliminated.
Roadway surface monitoring could be
revolutionised with vehicles scanning the surface
and reporting any issues, for example obstructions in
the carriageway, live.
Live carriageway and roadside works would
become much safer, as driverless vehicles would
avoid carriageway space where works (whether
manual or automated) are underway.
Green links and landscaping would be enhanced
alongside the strategic route network.
24 25

OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

On-demand AV service
gives everyone access to
local rural centres

Reduced isolation,
including better access to
jobs (urban and rural) for
rural residents

Strengthened rural
communities and centres,
commercially and socially

AVs are supplied on

demand from small
community hubs

Improved identity for rural

towns, with public realm
and community spaces at
their centre

Rural businesses use

AVs for local deliveries
or to lock into national
distribution hubs
26
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES

AV TAKE-UP IN RURAL AREAS IS LIKELY
TO BE DRIVEN BY BETTER ACCESS AND
MOBILITY, RATHER THAN CONGESTION
REDUCTION OR LAND VALUE INCREASE.

IN RURAL COMMUNITIES, CARS ARE AN

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT OF EVERYDAY
LIFE AND MOBILITY. JUST 7% OF
HOUSEHOLDS IN THE MOST RURAL
AREAS (RURAL VILLAGES, HAMLETS AND
ISOLATED DWELLINGS) HAVE NO CAR, IN
CONTRAST WITH LONDON, WHERE 44%
OF INNER LONDON HOUSEHOLDS DO
NOT HAVE A CAR.

THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT STARTING

POINT FOR THE TRANSITION TO
DRIVERLESS AND THEN AUTONOMOUS
VEHICLES, WITH DIFFERENT DRIVERS OF
CHANGE.

IMPROVING RURAL QUALITY OF LIFE
For rural centres and market towns, a shared
AV future will reduce the need for parking,
opening up opportunities to re-use valuable
shared spaces in town squares and village
centres for flexible commercial and leisure uses.
The widespread introduction of AVs to a rural
environment also brings a wealth of potential
opportunities for better mobility and access,
therefore reducing isolation. This will be
delivered at lower cost than current public
transport provision (for local authorities) or car
running costs (for residents).
Among the varied potential benefits on offer:
Young people who do not drive or cannot
afford a car will be able to access a far
greater range of jobs, both rural and urban
People of all ages will be able to maintain a
level of mobility, irrespective of their ability
to drive
Access to healthcare, schools, community
centres and social activities would be much
enhanced. This would be two-way: rural
residents could access a wider range of
services and specially adapted AVs could
bring a range of new health, library and
other social services to rural communities
Deliveries and logistics can be made at
lower cost, opening up opportunities for
rural businesses to serve a larger catchment
- and for rural residents to access services
from more businesses
SHARED AVs FOR BETTER RURAL BUS
PROVISION
While some rural centres and roads have
access to a bus service, frequencies and route
choices are often limited and very few routes
are commercially viable without subsidy. Many
rural centres have no service at all, and have no
27
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
prospect of any form of provision in future.
Shared AVs, scaled to match levels of demand
and available on-demand, could significantly
enhance the services now offered by rural
buses. Offering a from-the-door service to
rural residents, AVs would eliminate service
gaps as well as walk and wait times. The key
shift is from a fixed route service to one that is
infinitely flexible. By serving known demand,
there are large efficiency benefits and cost
savings on offer through route optimisation and
adaptation.
This system could operate alongside current
car-based travel, while building familiarity and
public trust in the technology.
RURAL-URBAN CONNECTIONS
The potential for much-enhanced mobility
across the UKs rural areas leads naturally into
debates around future urban intensification
versus rural drift.
There is no denying that connectivity between
rural areas and urban centres would be
transformed by AVs. The journey itself could
include a high proportion of productive time
for those using AVs for business travel or
commuting.
28
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
Within the next five years,
driverless technologies will be
far more commonplace and
better understood.
Driverless and autonomous
technologies will offer everyone
a whole new mode of transport
within the next 25 years.
MAKING THE TRANSITION WHILE
MAXIMISING THE POTENTIAL
ACROSS THE FIVE TYPES OF PLACES AND ROUTES WE HAVE
CONSIDERED, THERE ARE MAJOR BENEFITS ON OFFER FROM THE
INTRODUCTION OF CONNECTED VEHICLES, BOTH DRIVERLESS
(HIGHLY AUTOMATED) AND AUTONOMOUS (FULLY AUTOMATED).
THESE RELATE TO PLACEMAKING, SAFETY AND ROAD NETWORK
CAPACITY AT VARIOUS SCALES. INDIVIDUALS USING THE NEW
SYSTEM WOULD BENEFIT FROM SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS
COMPARED WITH TODAYS CAR RUNNING AND INSURANCE COSTS,
WITHOUT COMPROMISING ON CONVENIENCE.
These benefits will accrue fastest through decisive and bold transitions at the
local scale, rather than tentative steps.
There are three major factors that will determine the speed of our transition to AVs:
1. Growing public trust and familiarity, with appropriate incentives for change
2. Strong public and private sector leadership
3. The right legal framework
This leads to big questions that need to be answered before the places and benefits
described can become a reality.
CAPTURING THE BENEFITS: WHO WINS?
WHO LEADS?
The maximum benefits of AVs will not accrue without the right leadership.
Within the next five years, driverless technologies will be far more commonplace and
better understood. Within 15-25 years, driverless and autonomous technologies will
offer everyone a new mainstream mode of transport for everyday journeys.
What is not yet fixed is the scale of benefits on offer, and how these could accrue to
vehicle manufacturers, technology firms, others in the private sector or the
public purse.
It is in our collective interest to maximise the overall placemaking, efficiency and
safety benefits, but this can only happen through joint working between public
and private sector, with investment and leadership from local government and
developers. Ahead of this, DfT will need to continue its lead role in defining
standards and baselines for connected and increasingly autonomous vehicles.
THE CASE FOR PUBLIC SECTOR LEADERSHIP
Transport policymakers and asset owners hold the key to a successful transition at
national, city and local scale, as they are in a position to influence change and
 29

also stand to gain from land value uplifts, road safety improvements and efficiency
benefits across the network.

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

For example, if a city was to define one or more areas where moving vehicles
(whether privately owned or shared) had to meet a baseline level of driverless
technology from a defined point in time, the transition could be rapid and the
benefits secured directly in that area. The area could then be enlarged or joined
with others over time. As we have seen, in the longer run, the largest benefits
could be created through the widespread introduction of shared use AV systems
that provide a relevant, tailored solution to meet the needs of the local community.

THE CASE FOR PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIP

Developers and land-owners can also expect to make significant gains through
the shift to AVs. Sites that are not viable due to poor transport access today could
become far more accessible and acceptable with the introduction of a tailored
AV solution.

The creation of 15-20% additional land area for development could generate
millions or even billions of pounds of new value and/or construction cost
savings. This can be secured without needing to compromise on development
quality, while securing freedom from current planning constraints around parking.

For developers who wish to retain a long-run interest in their sites, for example
through a Private Rented Sector (PRS) model, as it also seems feasible that
access to a maintained AV fleet could become part of the package available to
future residents.

All of this suggests that private sector investment, working in partnership with the
public sector, would maximise the total benefit on offer to both.

ARE WE HEADED TOWARDS A PAY-AS-

YOU-GO TRANSPORT SYSTEM?
Once the majority of vehicles have the ability to operate in driverless mode, we
have the opportunity to move to a pay-as-you-go system for road transport.

With a shared use scenario, the process of confirming an AV journey from A to

B at a specific time and in a particular vehicle is, in essence, a network booking.
It is reasonable to assume that the cost of that journey will be set, for example, 15-20%
according to time of day (and anticipated congestion), distance travelled and the
priority to be assigned to the vehicle. Those who are willing to use a shared AV,
book further in advance or are flexible over choice of route would presumably
be able to make a trip at lower cost than those who request their own AV for
immediate use. People who are not prepared to compromise on departure or The creation of 15-20% additional
arrival times can expect to pay more, especially where their journey is at peak land area for development could
times. Much of this has direct parallels with existing taxi, minicab, rail and airline generate millions or even billions
of pounds of new value and/or
booking systems. construction cost savings.
30
MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
1.25bn
A 100 hectare AV zone
development in the heart of
London could gain more than
1.25 billion in additional land
value uplift as a direct result
300m
300 million in outer London
15-75m
15-75 million across much
of the rest of the country. The
introduction of AV zones could
therefore become a significant
factor in future development
viability appraisals
Even with a shared use system available, some will want their own AVs. There
is nothing to prevent this, although private AV-owners would have to take
responsibility for maintaining them to defined standards and for finding a suitable
parking space at both ends of every trip. It also seems likely that private AV-owners
would have to pay some form of network access charge according to trips made, as
they will be reliant on the wider system to carry them from A to B.
Revenues and returns - would flow directly to the operators and maintainers of
the system in a pre-defined way. Unlike todays shadow tolling models, the rich trip-
making data generated by day-to-day AV use will allow revenues to be allocated
precisely to fund operations and maintenance, capital investment in vehicles and
infrastructure, security and similar.
WILL AVS INTEGRATE WITH - AND WORK
ALONGSIDE - MASS TRANSIT?
Under an autonomous system, journey times will become entirely predictable and
adjusted in real time, meaning that AVs offer enormous potential for cross-modal
trip integration. At the same time, future enhancements in mass transit technology
can be expected to advance the current state-of the-art, for example for journey
time information and live adjustments.
This brings forward a new potential, for example, for free-flow smart rail stations
where AVs operate on a just-in-time basis to deliver and collect people at their
chosen interchange.
As such, mass transit systems would integrate with the future AV system to
operate as a powerful combination. In time, pricing and ticketing will be seamlessly
integrated with the end-to-end journey in mind. For example, AVs could carry
people from home to a rail station (if walking or cycling is not an option) and could
fulfil a similar role in getting people to their ultimate destination. To be competitive,
this combined AV/rail/AV trip would be cheaper than the same trip made by AV
alone.
DO AVs SPELL THE END OF ACTIVE
TRANSPORT?
No. It is quite the opposite:
Pedestrians and cyclists will be far safer. Always-on sensors will offer better
protection from moving vehicles in the streetscape than today.
Urban and suburban streetspace could be managed much more actively,
o pening up options for pedestrianised zones during daytime or peak hours.
 31

NEXT STEPS: BUILDING PUBLIC TRUST

MAKING BETTER PLACES: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

IN THE SHORT TERM
From our thinking about specific places, routes and needs, the roll-out of
driverless cars and AVs is unlikely to be homogeneous or synchronised across the
country. Initial steps will be taken to suit local circumstances, opportunities and
challenges, supported by enabling legislation at a national scale.

In parallel, the first steps towards this roll-out can be used to build widespread
public awareness and trust. A wide range of ideas could be rolled out within the
next five years, including:

CONNECT OUR EXISTING SYSTEMS AND VEHICLES: appropriate

communication between existing systems and modern cars is a critical next
step to generate benefits to our road transport system. This could relate
to traffic control systems or parking systems, for example, to provide better
information about route choices and the availability of on or off-street
parking spaces in real time.

DEDICATED DRIVERLESS PARKING AREAS: mainstream vehicles

with self-park capability are already on our roads. Another quick win to raise
awareness could be to allocate self-parking spaces, perhaps in premium
locations on-street or within existing car parks.

AUTONOMOUS BUSES: the introduction of live on-street running of

autonomous buses and minibuses would offer real benefit to urban centres,
core suburban routes and rural areas. It would again build familiarity and
public trust in new technologies, starting with fixed routes and moving
towards demand responsive flexible routes, where passengers call the AV
to their closest stop.

FIRST FORMAL AV ZONE CREATION: there is very little to prevent

us planning for the creation of a dedicated driverless or AV zone for an
emerging major development area. Opportunity and Growth Areas around
our major cities offer great potential for this solution. In the longer run,
as more zones are established - and as public trust grows - interlinkages
between adjacent zones would be a natural next step.

LAST MILE TRIP-MAKING: within five years, short distance trips around
urban, suburban and more rural centres could be made by AVs, for people
and deliveries.

DRIVERLESS MOTORWAYS: further to the planned roll-out of driverless

car trials on motorways in 2017, an onward programme of pilot trials would
ensure readiness for driverless motorways as and when the uptake of new
vehicles permits. 8000
Hectares of central London land is
occupied by parked cars

Farrells are internationally recognised architect
planners. We have designed award-winning
buildings and masterplans throughout the world
for over half a century. Our specialism is high
quality, mixed-use urban complexes, often based
around transport interchanges. We are responsive,
imaginative and skilled in design and have a passion
for environmental sustainability, using resources
wisely and creating resilient communities.
At Farrells, we believe architecture and building
design should always be informed by the context
and place. We work collaboratively and our
designers engage with the evolution, layering and
everyday use of a place and the architecture grows
organically, delivered through carefully considered
processes starting with the big picture into the detail
design and through construction, always with our
clients needs in mind.
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff
Rachel Skinner
Director, Development
rachel.skinner@wspgroup.com
linkedin.com/company/wsp-in-the-uk
@WSP_PB_UK
www.wsp-pb.co.uk
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff have combined and
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